126 . THE FLORIST AND 



F. hydrange^formis elegans. In this variety the flowers are larger 

 and finer than the original, and it is likewise of a better habit. 



F. latifolia. This species has smooth ovate leaves three to four inches 

 long, rather thin, and of a light-green on both sides ; the flowers are two to 

 together, violet, but soon become paler with age. 



F. villosa. This very much resembles F. latifolia ; is of a larger and 

 more robust habit, with smaller flowers ; the leaves are three to five inches 

 long, oblong-ovate, and hairy on the margin. 



F. acuminata. This is a very neat-looking plant, and will form a com- 

 pact bush one to two feet high: the leaves are 'oblong-acuminate, minutely 

 hairy, two inches long, green on both sides, and the young branches are of 

 dark colour ; the flowers are from two to six in a corymb, of a deep purple, 

 soon fading to pale. 



F. Angusta. This species much resembles F. acuminata, but is of a more 

 robust habit ; the leaves are two to five inches long, and minutely covered 

 with very small hairs, which give them a roughness, especially beneath. The 

 plant grows two feet high, has violet flowers, which soon become light. 



Boy al Botanic Gardens, Kew. J. Houlston, in Turner $ Florist. 



Mr. Longworth has written a letter to Mr. Ward, the botanical editor of 

 the Horticultural Review, in which he is very compassionate towards the 

 editor of this Journal, the ground of his kind feeling being that we are in 

 great trouble on account of the decision of the fruit committee of our society 

 on the strawberry question. Now Mr. Longworth knew that in place of be- 

 ing a trouble to me, the reception of that report was one rather gratifying to 

 Mr. Median's friends ; he knew that the report was rejected without a dissent- 

 ing voice. The unfairness with which Mr. Meehan was treated by the com- 

 mittee, or the minority of the committee who made the report, was sufficient 

 to damn the report, even if the opinion of the majority of the society were 

 not against the Cincinnati theory. 



This rejected report got out before it was submitted to the society, and 

 against the rules of the society, and has been published in several of the 

 horticultural periodicals ; we hope that for the credit of the society they will 

 mention this in their next number. Mr. Hovey, in his last issue, has a very 

 amusing page on the subject. It is well known that he is the very greatest 

 individual in the pomological and horticultural line ; what Mr. Hovey says 

 upon any subject is conclusive, and as he winds up his article with the grand 

 " we dismiss the subject," of course nothing further should be said upon it ; HE 

 has arrived at the conclusion that pistillate varieties never change, and in 

 the face of the fact of even his pistillate seedling having changed he re-asserts 

 it. A gentleman wrote to us not long ago that Mr. Hovey made nineteen 

 guesses at the sexual character of his strawberry, until enlightened by Eev. 

 H. W. Beecher. All that botanists want is the fact of a change being possi- 



